


crimson dawn

by genderneutralnoun



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Autistic My Unit | Byleth, F/F, Self-Hatred, Student My Unit | Byleth, The Edge of Dawn, basically byleth overworks herself a LOT, by which I mean edelgard sings a little bit of it in this fic, oh god that's a tag guess who's not gonna get any sleep tonight, she has to be able to protect her friends, she knows that there's danger outside their peaceful monastery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:22:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23030041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genderneutralnoun/pseuds/genderneutralnoun
Summary: A short scene for an AU idea I had a while ago where Byleth refuses the teaching position and becomes a Black Eagle student instead, also incorporating a mutual slow burn romance plot into Crimson Flower, because I am Edelgard trash.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 8
Kudos: 58





	crimson dawn

**Author's Note:**

> For those who like to know the ages of characters, like me, Byleth is 16 at the point where she meets the house leaders. I'll probably make her birthday something symbolic and a few months before Edelgard's birthday, so like, she'll turn 17 and then a few months later Edelgard turns 18. Because age dynamics are important to me okay. Buuuut, in this AU the academy phase lasts a few years, so at this point I think Byleth is 18 or 19 and Edelgard is 19 or 20. It's either the last or second last year, depending on whether I decide for the academy phase to last three years or four years. Byleth celebrates her birthday on 4/20 'cause it's the day she joined the academy, and obviously she forgot her birthday before then. I think what happens is since some of the monastery activities are age-segregated but she didn't know her own age, they just used magic to figure out her approximate age and shit. But I guess that's not exactly super important.

_ I look to you _

_ Like a red rose _

_ Facing the sun _

_ No matter where it goes…  _

“Edelgard,” came a voice behind her, quiet and familiar.

Edelgard spun, then caught herself, looking perhaps too eagerly into the eyes of her fellow student. “Oh, Byleth,” she murmured. “You startled me. What do you need?”

“I'm sorry. You have a beautiful voice,” Byleth said easily, so simply stated that, again, Edelgard knew it was a simple platonic compliment. Still, she couldn't help blushing, having always kept her singing voice private, at least, as long as she remembered… 

“It's nothing special,” she said dismissively.

“On the contrary. You sing with a great deal of emotion.” Byleth's eyes grew distant. “I've mastered all the practicalities of singing; music theory, proper breath control, reading sheet music. I can play a mean tune on the piano. But singing,” she sighed, “singing I can't get right. My voice never holds people enraptured like Dorothea's does, or even has the energy of Ferdinand's. Nor does it have Ashe's dedication, or Annette's enthusiasm. I can match Linhardt's apathy pretty well, but…” Byleth looked away.

“I think your singing is wonderful,” Edelgard said truthfully. Byleth's deep singing voice had an otherworldly feeling to it; sure, it was calculated and emotionless, but that only added to its charm, in her opinion.

“Maybe so, but it's not… right.” Byleth turned away from her and went to the edge of the balcony, resting her arms on the ornate railing. Worried, Edelgard followed close behind her. “I see all of you, having so much joy and fun, and you're all so… different from me.”

“Everyone's different,” Edelgard said, not particularly liking the tone of Byleth's voice right now. It felt… familiar, in an awful kind of way that she knew meant it had to do with… 

“I'm  _ too  _ different. I'm not like you at all.” Byleth stared at her hands; they shook, ever so slightly. “I've never been able to  _ feel _ things like you do. I feel pain, and I feel contentedness, but otherwise it has to be very great for me to feel  _ anything.  _ Sometimes I- I just wish-”

“Hey, hey. Look at me,” Edelgard said. When Byleth didn't move, Edelgard took a chance and moved one hand to her cheek.  _ It's so soft, _ she had time to note, before Byleth turned to face her, one of her own trembling hands going up to cover Edelgard's.

“You're… you're amazing just the way you are,” Edelgard said, hoping that didn't sound too much like a confession. Byleth's eyes, now almost aggressively empty, pierced hers; Edelgard felt as if Byleth could see every emotion on display in her mind, and showed no sign of it. At that moment, Edelgard didn’t particularly know whether Byleth knew her feelings or not, but something made her bold; perhaps that softness, wondering whether other parts of Byleth were just as soft; perhaps the concealed agony in her eyes, that Edelgard hated to see and needed to soothe.

“Am I?” Byleth said, so flatly; beyond even her usual stoicness. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

_ I can think of a few ways, _ Edelgard thought, ideas that made her blush, despite the inappropriateness of the situation. Still, she couldn’t help it; she was caught by the deepness of Byleth’s eyes, that seemed to go on into depths unknown, like pools of water that had no end. And, if she wasn’t imagining things, Byleth suddenly seemed shy… 

Edelgard was not aware that she was leaning forward until her face was quite close to Byleth’s, still enraptured by her eyes. She glanced down for a moment and took notice of her full lips; dry and cracked from lack of care, but still looking so… 

The door to the balcony creaked as someone pushed it further open, and they both quickly moved away from each other, Edelgard regretfully dropping her hand from Byleth’s face. “Oh, hey, Byleth, Edelgard,” Sylvain said, his other hand leading a young woman from the monastery village. “Sorry to interrupt, but we’d like to have the place to ourselves…”

“Oh, fine,” Edelgard pretended to sigh, just as Byleth said matter-of-factly, “So long as you aren’t planning to throw her off the balcony, Sylvain.”

Both Sylvain and his lady friend laughed, the latter stopping rather quickly when she saw how serious Byleth remained. As if suddenly aware that perhaps she wasn’t in the best company, she excused herself and made off, leaving a reluctant Sylvain to catch up to her.

He closed the door behind him, leaving them alone again, but the moment was lost. Edelgard couldn’t help giving Byleth a wistful glance as the green-haired girl was turned away from her, then coughed.

“I should really return to the party,” she admitted. 

“Go ahead.” Byleth walked back to the railing. “I’ve got some thinking to do.”

As Edelgard left, she couldn’t help but glance back briefly, seeing, for just a moment, Byleth contemplating the empty air below as if it were challenging her to something.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a sinus infection as I'm typing this. I wanted to say something in the end notes but I forget what so, I'll probably edit it in later. Or not. Who knows.
> 
> Edit: Back! Okay so basically, my weird idea is mixing in some of my headcanons about Robin (Lucina x Robin is my OTP. I am physically incapable of not mentioning this.) in with Byleth; namely the shit about Byleth overworking herself to keep her friends alive, and being so focused on constantly getting better that she doesn't realize just how amazing she is. Because self-hating geniuses is my shit okay. Might add more to this AN later.


End file.
